Dysco

@WIRiverRat, it was I guess 6-7 years ago when I skied a couple of mornings.. maybe with you? I recall the course being there way back 20 years ago, then not for a while. Great to see it's back!

I drove 2 1/2 hrs to attend. Fantastic place to watch. I did cringe when skiers had to walk out of the lagoon. I can't imagine the bottom is clear of multiple sharp objects. Most certainly having a location like that for a practice and amateur tournament site would be great for the sport.

@WIRiverRat , just out of curiosity, where's the course in Lax? I hooked up a few years ago with some guys that helped pull for the ski team, but just free slaloming, no course. My son moves in at UWL in two days.

I've skied on Pepin several times with a buddy from Lake City. We transported out of the marina in the photo. It's certainly not a "slalom friendly" lake.

Here's a thread. Rocker Rack is probably what you are looking for. Contact them directly, tell them it's for slalom skis as it's a different build than for snow skis and boards. Work great. I've got two for slalom and two for downhill. /forum#/discussion/24875/ski-storage-ideas

Survey results??

D3 are generally very neutral and user friendly skis. I'd search for a used a few years old.

You can buy yourself a 2005-2010 D3 X5, x7 or Radar Strada. Pretty neutral and easy to ski.

Back in our teens, lots of our gal friends could get up on slalom and swerve a bit. They would often ask to use one of our skis, as we talked about how nice they turned. It was always a bit of fun to watch the ski hunting for an edge when they rode it flat.

I've been to McCormick's (as have others here). There will probably be at least a few rookies there, most certainly some people who aren't running the course at 39 off, so absolutely don't get nervous. Just have fun and don't over-try. Ie, skiing your absolute hardest just to make a bouy that doesn't actually matter can end up in falls in the middle of the course, or injuries, or not being able to wipe your a%% the next morning. A few things...it's very possible that the people driving and "coaching" will change throughout the day, or by whatever boat is ready to pull (usually two of them are on the water) so what they tell you to focus on be different. Pick one or two things and work on that. Also they aren't all "coaches" some are kids who are staying there to train, knowledgeable perhaps, but not always well versed at coaching. One of my "coaches" was French and barely spoke english. His advice on one aspect of what I was doing, was exact opposite from what a "coach" from an earlier set told me. If you aren't bringing your own ski, vest, gloves, handle...well, you gotta use what they will let you use or buy it. The ski might work fairly well for you, or it might not. Once again, just enjoy skiing as part of your vacation. I got a bit worked up/disgruntled about that part as there were three of us guys that didn't bring our own and were told on site to share the same ski. We were all very different in size (body and feet) and ability (and this ski was OLD, and not even a very good ski when new). I was told over the phone that they had multiple skis like mine at home (a KD at the time) that I could use. Yes, the did have at least 5-6 of my exact skis, but when I asked if I could use one, they said those belonged to other skiers so I needed to use the one they had. One of the guys had really small feet and they had him duct tape himself into the binding. After my 2nd set, I chilled and had some lunch, and realized that nothing has ever been perfect on any vacation, so just go with it. That afternoon and the next day I just said screw it and enjoyed being on the water and talking with others. I hope that your experience starts off better than mine, but in the end, while wishing I had brought my own ski (which wasn't really possible for that vacation) or been able to use a different one, the reality is that it might not have been set up even close to what I was used to, so it would feel very different anyway.

I like your observations of the wake crossing. I was just reviewing some video a friend took of me. At the same spot, my ski was also barely in the water. I kept thinking "why's just the tail in the water? What am I doing??" Now I don't feel so bad.

How about these rankings? On point? ? ?https://www.boatsafe.com/best-ski-boats/

28 off typically brings you into the "better" parts of the wake at 32mph +, behind most boats. IMO if you haven't tried 28 yet, do it free skiing so you get a feel for it, then give it a go in the course. This is supposed to be fun, try it out.

Where's northern MN? According to the locals, unless you are north of hwy 2, it's not northern MN. ? I heard that a lot living in TRF. Unfortunately not a ski boat in the county.

I had the back of my head split open from a handle while driving, 8 stitches. 4 foot tube was in place. Objects may be closer than they appear in the mirror is true! The worst part was it was an "option" to be at work that morning, which was where my wife thought I was. She wasn't amused.

@jjackkrash or fewer if he's behind a boat and it's not high enough octane for the brain. When something is as mental as slalom, practice with the more difficult option and be mentally prepared.

There's not much unfortunately. A three event lake near Adams Friendship (owned by several people, some from Madison area). Neosho mill pond used to have a course, no idea if it still does. A couple private slalom lakes within about an hour. Reports from a few skiers we share water with occasionally, someone has been dropping in a portable course on Lake Wisconsin a few times this summer. I haven't been lucky enough to cross paths with them yet. This topic has been brought up several times in the past. Lots of lakes in the area, not much available for serious skiers that aren't a private lake owner. Keep asking around, especially your ski team people. A guy named Dave Muhl (spelling is probably not right) used to drive for the UW ski team. He's part owner of a small slalom lake near WI Dells and I "think" he might have one on his farm near cottage grove just outside of Madison. Oh, and most important. Reply back with any good info.

Bottom line is that Horton is convinced that lower octane fuel will prevent him from skiing his best, so he better run high test in his boat. But then again, at his next tournament he's going to be mentally SOL if the boats are burning low octane. Better run low octane to gain the mental edge. Pretty much sums it all up.

Probably a big part of it is that many ski boat owners have treated their ride like a classic car since being new. That and rebuilding the engine, fresh gelcoat and interior is far cheaper than a new boat and for many, just as fun.

Colsac skiers out of Madison, Wi (originally from Merrimac, Wi) has been doing this type of ski lessons (as well as strength training both in person and virtual) for about 8 years now. Kids and disabled vets are the most common skiers.

The problem with that theory is that pre-ignition sensors will only change the timing if there's pre-ignition. If you run high octane it won't have a need to change anything, and your boat loses power because higher octane burns slower. If you run a chip and program your timing, then and only then will the high octane create a performance increase. So spend more money on fuel and a chip vs getting the best performance stock and save money. If a person has access to 100 percent gasoline (no ethenol) which is almost always 91+ octane, then running it can be a great idea especially the first and last tanks of the season, or if a person simply doesn't use their boat often.

@UWSkier If the engine isn't prefiring, thus timing and spark are correct, then 87 won't blow it up. Here's a quote from ls1tech Home / Advanced Engineering Tech high octane race fuel HP increase capability? : Originally Posted by TXCAMSS My question for you gurus is: Is there a fuel available that can actually provide a HP increase and improve ETs in a NA application by even a fractional amount rather than slowing the car down? 87 Octane. 87 Octane makes the most power, due to the fact that it has the highest BTU rating, but power robbing detonation may occur with 87. The higher the octane rating, the less BTU's (which equates to less thermal expansion, and less power) helps prevent detonation because it is harder to light and is less volatile. But, if you gain 30 h.p. by running the proper spark timing, you are willing to give up 10 h.p. by running high octane fuel. But if your engine can run at optimum spark timing on 87 octane, then that is the combo that will produce the most h.p.. Here's another discussion about octane and LS engines. This info is literally everywhere, with data. The ONLY benefit of higher octane is it burns slower so it can reduce detonation. With ls engines and computer timing, it's been virtually eliminated. 87 octane burns faster and can produce more and more consistent HP. https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-lsx-automobile-discussion/1453974-87-vs-93-vs-93-real-octane-booster.html

Not a boat engine, but a modern engine with actual data. Most importantly, the hotter the engine got through successive dyno pulls (like successive slalom passes) the high octane produced LESS horsepower. Lower octane produced more and more consistent horses. There's millions of guys who can't stand up on skis, but they know a whole hell of a lot about building engines and producing power, and have the data to back up what they did and the results, not just a placebo effect from 37 feet away. https://nasaspeed.news/tech/engine/octane-vs-horsepower-separating-fact-from-myth-in-the-debate-over-which-fuel-makes-more-power/?amp

I've attempted to slalom behind both an x11 and x15 on "slalom" mode wake. Im no wake snob and will ski behind almost anything im offered. Bottom line, NOPE. Can you slowly cross the wake? Sure, but cutting across is really not an option and quite dangerous if someone not fully in control hit it. They are boarding boats and work as designed.

@JustAnewb sometimes deals like that are the best. The terrain will get him through the course at those speeds and more. It's a better ski than most of us were using when we started. Keep us posted on the process. Questions are welcome.